Researchers at Schrodinger Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have described 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro; nsp5) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome.

Before formally introducing legislation to spur R&D of treatments for long COVID, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is calling for stakeholder input on the proposal that would require $10 billion in dedicated, mandatory NIH funding to respond to the chronic condition over the next 10 years.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Corteria, Eledon, Intravacc, Mei, Moderna, Nanoscope, Nkgen, Opus, Osivax, Praxis, Protagonist, Sellas, Stoke, Tectonic, Valneva, Viking.

Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief, from: Alligator, BLR, Dyadic, Psyrx.

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Abbvie, Advicenne, Astrazeneca, Bluejay, Daiichi Sankyo, Esperion, Invivyd, Regeneron, Tonix.

Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Apogee, Astria, Axsome, Beyondspring, Cassava, Invivyd, Matinas, Syros.

The U.S. FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) on March 22 for Waltham, Mass.-based Invivyd Inc.’s half-life extended monoclonal antibody (MAb) VYD-222 – making it available to prevent COVID-19 in immunocompromised adults and adolescents – but its use comes with a boxed warning for anaphylaxis.

Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Boehringer Ingelheim, Cocrystal, Cosmo, CSL Vifor, Deverra, Forge, Hasten, Lib, Orchard, PTC, Revive.

Merck & Co. has revealed the discovery of novel oral SARS-CoV-2 3C-like proteinase (3CLpro; Mpro) inhibitors for the potential treatment and/or prophylaxis of COVID-19. 3CLpro plays a key role in viral life cycle by cleaving viral protein and helps in replication and infection, which make 3CLpro a target for designing drugs to treat COVID-19.